A handgun holster is a device used to hold or restrict the undesired movement of a handgun, most commonly in a location where it can be easily withdrawn for immediate use. Holsters are generally designed to offer protection to the handgun, secure its retention, and provide ready access to it. The need for ready access is often at odds with the need for security and protection. Choosing the right balance can be very important, especially in the case of a defensive weapon holster, where failure to access the weapon quickly or damage or loss of the weapon because of insufficient retention or protection could result in serious injury or death to the user.
Holsters are generally designed to be used with one hand, allowing the handgun to be removed and/or replaced with the same hand. To be able to return the handgun to its holster one-handed, the holster must be made from stiff material that holds its shape so that the holster won't collapse when the object is no longer inside to give it support.
Holsters are generally attached to a person's belt or waistband or clipped to another article of clothing. Some holsters, such as ankle holsters, have integrated support. Other holsters may fit inside a pocket to add stability and protection to the handgun, keeping it more reliably secure and accessible than if it were in the pocket alone.
Holster designs for firearms cover a wide range of shapes, materials, and retention/release mechanisms, from simple leather pouches hanging from a belt to highly protective holsters with flaps that cover the entire handgun, to highly adjustable competition holsters that hold the handgun at a precise position and release instantly when activated. The wide range of types indicates the highly varied circumstances in which holsters are used, and the varying preferences of the users. Duty holsters, which are typically worn by uniformed peace officers and security personnel, are designed to be carried openly, so concealment is not an issue, but retention is of high importance. Duty holsters can be made of leather (plain, basket weave, or glossy), nylon, or plastic; they are designed to be attached to a duty belt, and worn on the dominant side.
The primary characteristic that often distinguishes duty holsters from all other holster designs is retention. Modern law enforcement duty holsters are available with varying levels of retention security (i.e. Level I, Level II, Level II+, Level III, etc.; some security features are passive (such as retention screws, decoy straps, or hood guards), while others are active and require deliberate manipulation by the officer during the draw (such as traditional thumb break snaps). While a higher level of retention will make it more difficult for a suspect to snatch a holstered handgun away from an officer, it may also reduce the speed and ease with which an officer may draw his handgun (especially if the security features are active and not passive). Therefore, when selecting a duty holster, an officer or agency purchasing authority may be forced to find a suitable compromise of speed and retention. When choosing a holster for a firearm, factors of interest include:
Safety—a well-designed holster will provide protection to the handgun during insertion into or removal from the holster or while being carried that will: 1. prevent accidental trigger movement; 2. prevent accidental disengagement of the safety mechanism; 3. prevent forward or rearward movement of the hammer. These features will vary greatly as applicable to the action of the handgun. The safety features of a holster very much require that the holster be engineered and designed for each specific manufacture and model of handgun.
Retention—a holster designed with retention in mind will help prevent a gun from being removed from the holster by anyone other than the person wearing it. Modern duty holsters have multiple hidden retention devices to this end. Frequently, retentive holsters are custom designed for a specific model of gun.
Draw ease—practical shooting holsters must allow a gun to be presented quickly.
Versatility—it is preferable not to have to stock a wide range of different holster types for left and right side carry, for different barrel and slide lengths, or for field or office duty. While some range of models is needed for different gun types, it is desirable to minimize this both for economy of manufacturing and distribution, and for economy of agency purchasing and inventorying.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved holster that retains a firearm with two latches that must be simultaneously actuated to release the firearm. In this regard, the various embodiments of the present invention substantially fulfill at least some of these needs. In this respect, the holster according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing multiple retention measures for a firearm while also enabling the firearm to be presented quickly.